Belk Foundation Impact Plan

Five-Year Impact Plan: June 1, 2019 – May 31, 2024
Approved by the Board May 7, 2019
Background on Belk Foundation Grantmaking
The year 2018 marked the 90th Anniversary of The Belk Foundation (“the Foundation”). Over the decades, the Foundation has been rooted
in community, investing in myriad causes that aligned with the founders’ interest in the “upbuilding of mankind.” The past decade has seen
the most significant evolution in the Foundation’s strategy towards this end. In 2010, the Foundation adopted a new mission:
The Belk Foundation believes that education is a basis for successful society
and that a quality education is the right of all children and youth. Our mission is to invest
in schools and organizations that work aggressively to ensure all students graduate
from high school and continue on an intentional path toward college, career and life.
After three years of learning about and investing in K-12 achievement and post-secondary access, in 2013 the Foundation decided to focus
in two areas shown to have significant influence on a student’s long-term academic success: Achievement by 3rd Grade and Great Teachers
and Leaders.
In 2016, precipitated in part by the sale of the family’s company, Belk, Inc., the Foundation decided to “double-down” its efforts in its
hometown, Charlotte, and home state, North Carolina. It remains committed to the mission and focus areas.
Over time, the Foundation has recognized the impact of engaging in the mission “beyond grantmaking”, through advocacy and convening.
In 2014, the Foundation’s role in spearheading what became Read Charlotte, a community-wide effort to double reading proficiency,
opened its eyes to the possibilities for extending impact by zeroing in on key issues within its focus areas.
In 2017, the Foundation began a process to identify a second issue within its two focus areas to dedicate additional attention over the next
five years. In 2018, it selected the strategic issue of “equitable access to effective teachers” as an important lever to meet its mission.
This Impact Plan sets the context for the way the Belk Foundation invests in its mission and lays out its commitment to addressing its two
strategic issues, Third Grade Reading Proficiency and Equitable Access to Effective Teachers, through 2024.

Grantmaking Strategy
The Foundation’s Grantmaking Strategy is framed by its Beliefs to Action statement (Addendum A), developed by the Board over the years
and adopted with this Impact Plan. The Foundation invests approximately 5% of its endowment annually in grants intended to further its
mission. On average, the annual grantmaking budget is $2 million.
Focus Areas: The Foundation has two primary focus areas: Achievement by 3rd Grade and Great Teachers and Leaders. At times, these
focus areas overlap; a key strategy to strong achievement in grades K-3 is having an effective teacher, led by a strong principal. Typically,
the Great Teachers and Leaders focus area spans the K-12 system, as human capital system strategies to recruit, hire and retain great tal-
ent do not fit neatly into a grade-specific band. On average, the Foundation strives to devote equal grant funds to each focus area.
Goals, Strategies and Metrics: Each focus area has specific goals, strategies, and recommended metrics. This information is represented in
the Grant Strategy Framework (Addendum B).
Target Population: We believe that all children can achieve, which is why the achievement gap between low income students and their
wealthier peers is unacceptable and must be closed. We concentrate our resources on students who need them the most – typically stu-
dents who are of color and/or low-income. When investing in system-improvement, we ensure considerations are made with an equity
lens. We believe that strong systems are those that meet the needs of all children.
Geography: The Foundation is fortunate to be based in a region with a strong unified school system, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
(“CMS”). CMS is the 17th largest school district in the country, with 147,000 students. The student population is diverse both ethnically and
economically, with 72% non-Caucasian students of color and 54% Economically Disadvantaged students. Because of its size, diversity, and
track record for pursuing innovative educational practices, CMS often influences state educational practices and policies.
The Foundation recognizes, though, that while CMS often influences policies, it is also impacted greatly by decisions made at the state
level. As such, the Foundation seeks opportunities to build relationships and connect ideas between Charlotte and state decisionmakers
through its grantmaking, convening, and advocacy.
On average, the Foundation strives to devote 70% of grant funds to Charlotte and 30% to state-level investments.
Types of Grants: Building on the theme of connectivity, the Foundation values investing at many levels of impact. Grants typically fall into
three categories: (1) Direct Service: programs and interventions that directly support students and educators, (2) System Improvement:
building capacity within a larger system to meet the needs of students and educators, and (3) Reform Environment: informing and advo-
cating for smart decisions that affect students and educators. Further definition of these three types of grants, with what is looked for in
investment opportunities, can be found in the Framework for Considering Grants (Addendum C).

Beyond Dollars - How we work with Grantees: The Foundation believes that its grantmaking can be magnified by dedicating time and
energy beyond the standard grantmaking process. In addition to our roles in sourcing, vetting and supporting grantees, we also engage in
the following activities: advocate for funding and connect grantees with potential donors, coach organizations on strategy and program
evaluation, and host meetings and events for grantees on mission-related issues.
Strategic Issues: A subset of the two focus areas, Strategic Issues are where the Board and Staff have decided to dedicate intentional and
proactive time and energy “beyond grantmaking”. The intention is to spend at least 10% of time to each of the two issues, researching
what works, hosting convenings, and advocating for solutions.

K-3 Focus Area Strategic Issue
 Double the percentage of third graders reading on grade level
from 39% in 2015 to 80% by 2025.
In February 2014, The Belk Foundation convened leaders from local foundations, businesses, the school district, county
and the library to discuss a community crisis: only 40% of Charlotte’s third graders were reading on grade level. National research indicates
third-grade reading is a strong indicator of both high school graduation and college matriculation. Although Charlotte-Mecklenburg was
better than the average for large public cities (26%) and the national average (34%), this wasn’t good enough for these leaders.
This initial conversation led to a commitment by this group to organize a Third Grade Reading Task Force, which met throughout 2014 to
review key research, build on past community efforts and define the goal, scope and pillars of a potential community-wide collective im-
pact effort around early childhood literacy. In early 2015, the Task Force reorganized as the governing board of the newly named Read
Charlotte. After a national search, Read Charlotte hired Munro Richardson to lead the initiative.
After two years of research and alignment, Read Charlotte has moved into implementation in collaboration with an army of dedicated
groups and individuals across Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
 Their work is defined by four major areas of activity: research and data, improving systems, strategic funding, and building networks.
 To move the needle on literacy, Read Charlotte focuses on five levers: Great teaching, Empowering families, Building home libraries,
High-quality targeted tutoring, and Summer reading.
How the Foundation continues to support its “original” Strategic Issue: Third Grade Reading Proficiency and what became Read Charlotte
was the first mission-aligned strategic issue of the Foundation. The Foundation dedicated intentional time and energy beyond grantmaking
to build community-level awareness and determination to find solutions. This commitment will continue through Read Charlotte’s 2025
goal, aligned to the Read Charlotte strategic plan and primarily in the form of these actions:
Board Service Lead Funding Aligned Funding Strategic Guidance Sharing Lessons
Foundation Board Member
Katie Morris and Executive
Director Johanna Anderson
serve on the Read Char-
lotte Board. Katie is the
founding chairperson of
the Board.
The Foundation is
a committed
“Lead Funder” of
Read Charlotte
operations.
Within its K-3 focus area, the
Foundation aligns its literacy-
related funding to Read Char-
lotte priorities, particularly the
levers of Great Teaching,
Tutoring, and Summer
Reading.
Both Katie Morris and Johanna
Anderson spend additional time
serving as thought-partners and
collaborators with Read Charlotte
staff to fundraise for Read Charlotte
identified priorities, advise on
strategy, and build connections.
Through relationships at
the state level, the
Foundation shares
lessons learned from
Read Charlotte with
state level practitioners
and policymakers.
Third Grade
Reading Proficiency

Teacher and Leader Focus Area Strategic Issue
 More equitable access to excellent teachers by expanding the pool
and extending the reach of effective teachers
Teachers are the most important in-school factor for student achievement. A teacher is estimated to have two to three
times the impact of any other school factor on a student’s performance. And we know that embedded peer support from excellent teach-
ers leading small teams of teachers can have significant effects on their colleagues. There is a need to better prepare new teachers who
are likely to serve students who are low-income and/or of color. Schools with high concentrations of students who are low-income and/or
of color have greater numbers of beginning teachers, who turn over at higher rates. From research, we know better-prepared teachers are
more than twice as likely to remain in the classroom.
CMS’s Breaking the Link report exposed the inequitable distribution of highly effective teachers across and within the district’s schools, by
race and income level.
• CMS has a lower percentage of teachers Exceeding Expected Growth than the state. In the 2016-17 school year, only 16% of
CMS teachers exceeded expected growth, compared to NC’s 20%. In high poverty schools in CMS, only 13.8% of teachers ex-
ceeded growth.
• Low-income students of color are much less likely to have a teacher who exceeds growth. In EOG tested subjects, 42% of white
students in low poverty schools are taught by a teacher who exceeded growth the previous year, compared to only 27% of
black and Hispanic students in high poverty schools.
• Beginning teachers are much more likely to be hired late and placed in higher poverty schools. 19% of white students in low
poverty schools had a beginning teacher compared to 37% of black students and 33% of Hispanic students in high poverty
schools.
The Foundation believes that one powerful way to decrease student achievement gaps is to increase the chances that students who are
low-income and/or of color have a highly effective teacher. The disparities in access that we see in Charlotte and across our state are only
exacerbating the persistent achievement gaps that exist.
In evaluating the many “entry points” to the talent pipeline, the Foundation identified expanding the pool of well-prepared beginning
teachers and extending the reach of existing highly effective teachers as important areas to focus.
Our goal is a simple one: Increase the odds that students who are low-income and/or of color will be taught by highly effective educators.
Equitable Access to
Effective Teachers

Strategic Issue Logic Model
If students who are low-income and/or of color have better prepared beginning teachers and more effective experienced teachers, their academic
achievement will increase.
Resources Strategies Outputs Outcomes Impact
- Facilitating
partnerships
between systems
- Advocacy on
issues
(communicating
formally/
informally,
externally/
internally)
- Grantmaking
dollars
- Sponsoring
research
- Enhancing quality of clinical experi-
ences1
in teacher preparation for
candidates more likely to be hired
and excel in high-poverty schools
- In traditional routes
- In new residency license and
other alternative programs
- Brokering shared governance and
deeper partnerships between educa-
tor preparation providers (EPPs) and
school districts that lead to better
clinical experiences
- More EPPs are enhanc-
ing clinical experiences
through better place-
ment, coaching, and
support
- More EPPs and school
districts have formed
formal partnerships
that share governance
over clinical experi-
ences
- Beginning teachers in
high-poverty schools
are as prepared as
beginning teachers in
lower poverty schools.
[Proposed metric:
edTPA scores]
- Beginning teachers in
high-poverty schools
are evaluated as
effective as beginning
teachers in lower
poverty schools. [Pro-
posed metrics: EVAAS,
classroom observa-
tions, student surveys]
All students are
making positive
academic gains and
are being prepared
for college, career
and life.
[Proposed metrics: %
students exceeding
expected academic
growth, making
progress towards
college and career
readiness standards
(proficiency rates in
NC College and
Career Ready Stand-
ards, ACT, Work-
Keys), and are cared
for, supported and
challenged (student
surveys, attendance,
and behavior data)]
- Supporting school principals to make
talent management decisions that
give students who need additional
support a more equitable chance at a
highly effective teacher1
- Using effectiveness data to sched-
ule teachers to students who
need more help
- Implementing innovative staffing
models1
that extend the reach of
highly effective teachers through
teaching more students or build-
ing capacity of other teachers
- School leaders are using
effectiveness data in
scheduling educator
talent with an equity
lens across and within
all schools
- More districts are using
innovative staffing
models in their schools
to increase the reach of
highly effective teach-
ers to students who
need more support
- Students who are low-
income and/or of color
have effective teachers
at the same rate as
their higher income
white peers across and
within schools.
[Proposed metrics:
EVAAS, classroom ob-
servations, student sur-
veys]
1
See Key Concepts and Definitions for “Effective Teachers”, “Quality Clinical Experiences” and “Innovative Staffing Models”
ExpandingthePoolExtendingtheReach

Key Concepts and Definitions:
Effective Teachers: What do we mean by “effective teachers”? In essence, effective teachers are those who connect with students and
positively contribute to their learning and development.
As with any profession, there is a range of effectiveness across teachers, and we do not always know what practices or characteristics
are associated with teacher effectiveness. Indeed, it is likely that they can be effective or ineffective in a variety of ways. Thus, finding
a single definition, much less a measure, that encapsulates “effectiveness” is challenging. No one characteristic in isolation determines
effectiveness. For example, teachers need to know their content area, but without the ability to communicate and connect with stu-
dents, that knowledge doesn’t get transferred. What we know is that effective teachers tend to:
• Have high cognitive ability and knowledge of their content
• Be conscientious, have a growth-mindset, set goals and use data to drive results for students
• Be culturally-aware and teach in culturally responsive ways
• Be good communicators and motivate all students to learn
• Believe in children and have high expectations for all students
• Diagnose student learning, differentiate instruction, and skillfully select strategies and resources to reach all learners
• Establish safe, supportive, engaging and purposeful learning environments
• Make students feel cared for, inspired and challenged
• Among many, many additional daily acts of service, dedication, and care
Although motivated by the access inequities based on EVAAS distributions in CMS schools, we believe “effective teachers” are more
than teachers who exceed expected growth or rate accomplished or above on annual evaluations. We also know that what we have as
proxies for teacher effectiveness do not capture the full extent of a teacher’s contributions to students. Importantly, however, we
should seek to learn from the variation in teacher effectiveness so as to lead to systemic improvements in the quality of the teacher
workforce. For example, information about teacher effectiveness can help us: know what kinds of support they need, inform improve-
ments in teacher preparation, and select teacher leaders, to name a few.
Quality Clinical Experiences: Within the field of teacher preparation, there is evidence that preparation linked to practice benefits
teachers early in their career. Although “student teaching” is not new, recent research points to the importance of where and with
whom these clinical experiences take place. What we know so far about quality clinical experiences is that:

• Placements matter: High-quality clinical experiences typically occur in high-quality learning environments. These are environ-
ments where teachers are collaborating, teachers are staying, and students are making a lot of learning growth.
 Furthermore, early-career teachers seem to benefit from clinical experiences that more closely approximate their in-
service environments. This means securing a job in a school that is comparable to their student teaching school or
even in the same school building. Too often we see beginning teachers in high-poverty schools struggle partly be-
cause they practiced teaching in less complex, lower-poverty settings.
• Mentors and coaching matter: High-quality clinical experiences typically occur when a pre-service teacher is matched to a clini-
cal educator who is both instructionally effective and an effective coach/mentor.
In most cases, educator preparation providers rely on schools and districts to host pre-service teachers for these clinical experiences.
Given the importance of clinical experiences in preparation, the Foundation believes that creating strong partnerships and shared gov-
ernance between EPPs and school districts is a system issue that must be addressed.
Innovative Staffing Models: The one-teacher, one-classroom model is a traditional structure that limits student access to the most
effective teachers. Over the years, the Foundation has invested in innovative staffing models such as Opportunity Culture that allow
highly effective teachers to reach more students directly or by coaching teams of teachers. Changing the traditional staffing structures
of schools is no easy feat, but schools that have embraced this work are beginning to see growth in both student achievement and
teacher support. We believe these models have myriad benefits: attracting and retaining effective teachers, providing imbedded
coaching and support to all teachers, and increasing the chances that students get access to top talent. For these models to be strong
and sustainable in the long term, it’s critical for them to be structured in cost-neutral ways, taking into account resource reallocation.
Tracking Progress: Although it is undeniable that excellent teachers can have significant impact on students, how to measure that impact,
much less predict or differentiate effective teachers, causes much consternation. What is clear in the data is that when proxies for prepar-
edness or effectiveness show variation, students who are low-income and/or of color have consistently higher rates of less prepared and
less effective teachers.
Admittedly, our current measures for preparedness and effectiveness are single data points of a teacher’s capacity or contributions to the
classroom. In tracking progress in equitable access, we must be practical about the availability and feasibility of teacher effectiveness
measures. In selecting partners, developing strategies, and advocating solutions, we will seek out those who share a healthy respect for
what quantitative measures can tell us, while holding the nuanced and complex attributes of the profession.
In addition to the current measures in place for gauging teacher preparedness and effectiveness in North Carolina, the Foundation will
advocate for multiple measures that provide district and school leaders a more complete picture of their teaching force. One important

data source are student surveys, which have shown high predictability of teacher effectiveness. Student surveys can also tell us whether
students are in classroom environments where they feel cared for, supported, and challenged: important conditions for both cognitive and
non-cognitive skill development.
Along with the Outputs and Outcomes represented in the above Logic Model, the Foundation recognizes that progress comes in many
forms. Over the course of the five years, we hope to build awareness and commitment to the Strategic Issue using our influence and lever-
age. As such, we will also track the following changes in Mecklenburg and at the State level:
Types of Systematic and Structural Outcomes
Influence:
- Changes in visibility of issue
- Changes in partnerships
- Changes in organizational capacity
- Changes in availability of data or analyses
- Changes in public and/or political will
- Changes in policies and/or regulations
- Changes in practices
Leverage:
- Changes in public funds
- Changes in philanthropic investments
Drivers of Quality: As a complement to the Beliefs to Action statement, the Foundation has adopted five Drivers of Quality for this strate-
gic issue:
- Learning by Doing: Adult learners improve by practicing their craft and receiving coaching from experts.
- Data for Improvement: Data should be used to guide continual improvement cycles and ensure changes are leading to results.
- Leadership is Critical: System and school leaders set the tone, galvanize support, and ensure implementation. Programmatic
changes without leadership buy-in will not succeed.
- High Standards for Learning: Talent development strategies should be aimed towards ambitious goals for student learning and
teaching. Strong student learning standards should drive at every stage what teachers need to know and be able to do.
- Intentional Partnerships: True partnerships are mutually beneficial, clear, and accountable.
Research Needed: The Foundation is committed to using data to drive changes in the system. In order to best implement strategies, it is
recognized that further analysis is required on effective teachers within CMS and across NC:
• Who are the more effective beginning teachers in high-poverty schools in CMS and across NC? Factors to understand: Prep
route, where they student taught, how they got hired, what they knew when they started, what they didn’t know and how they
improved, participation in induction programs, ethnicity, gender

• Who are the highly effective teachers in high-poverty schools in CMS and across NC? Prep route, years of experience, how did
they get hired, why the remain in the classroom, ethnicity, gender
We are particularly interested in the compelling research on the impact of teachers of color on all students, especially students of color. In
the first year of this work, we will develop a research agenda that prioritizes questions to guide our understanding and inform strategies.
Deeper analysis on the demographics of effective teachers in CMS will be part of that early work.
Advisory Group: An Advisory Group will be formed to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its work and mission relating to the Strategic
Issue. Advisory Group Members are deeply knowledgeable about the Strategic Issue of more equitable access to excellent teachers. Mem-
bers serve for a two-year term with possibility of extending their term through the end of the five-year impact plan.
The Advisory Group responsibilities include:
1. Connect The Belk Foundation to research and best practices related to the Strategic Issue.
2. Provide guidance on emerging strategies, especially as they relate to realities of district and school contexts, while thinking big-
picture and beyond the priorities of own organization.
3. Identify and help develop responses to current and emerging issues and needs.
4. Review select grant applications focused on the Strategic Issue and provide feedback to The Belk Foundation Grants Committee for
their review.
5. Encourage approaches that push boundaries for the sake of students, fueled by a spirit of optimism, creativity, and urgency.
Funding Partners – Current and Prospective: The Foundation prefers to partner with other funders when feasible. We benefit from the
philanthropic investments of local, state-level and national funders. We believe Charlotte and North Carolina more broadly have many
factors that make them compelling investment sites and see it as a responsibility to advocate for our state to other funders. Throughout
the five-year strategy, we will make it a priority to seek more philanthropic partners towards this issue.
Risks and Related Factors: Inspiring and implementing change within and across large systems is no small feat. The Foundation under-
stands the complexity of our aspirations, and that many factors out of our control can impact the likelihood of success.
• Pipeline into teaching profession: who (quality) and how many (quantity) are choosing teaching
• State policies on important considerations, such as teacher pay and licensure
• Principal quality
• Effectiveness data: the availability and reliability

• Economic conditions: a worsening economy tends to lead to higher teacher retention, but less revenue for school district; improv-
ing economy means more beginning teachers have additional options outside of teaching
• System leadership: the consistency, prioritization and buy-in of the issue
Policy Engagement: As a private foundation, we cannot engage in lobbying, but we can provide general operating support to nonprofits
that advocate for sound policy, fund research that analyzes policies and programs, and host community forums that educate about im-
portant topics. The Foundation intends to explore all tools as appropriate to educate and encourage research-informed decision-making
by practitioners, system leaders and policy makers.
Ideally, the Foundation intends to bolster the recommendations of existing practice and policy analyses already underway in the state:
• Expanding the Pool: NC Professional Educators Preparation and Standards Commission; Southern Regional Education Board (SREB);
Leandro Study by WestEd; Research commissioned by the UNC System
• Extending the Reach: Advanced Roles Pilot Evaluation by the Friday Institute; Leandro Study by WestEd
Strategic Communication and Convenings: Foundations have a platform that can shine light on issues. The Foundation plans to advocate
for the Strategic Issue through the following mediums:
• Annual Report: the annual “Letter to Friends” will spotlight the strategic issue data, grantees and lessons learned in a special sec-
tion each year. The FY19 Annual Report will formally announce the Strategic Issue logic model and strategies.
• Belkfoundation.org: a special section will be dedicated to the Strategic Issue, including data, grantees and lessons learned.
• Social media: the Foundation’s Twitter account will be utilized to circulate findings and spotlight partners’ work
• Articles: the Foundation will author and encourage partners to write articles that call on the importance of the issue and ways to
increase access to effective teachers
• Local convenings: at least twice annually, the Foundation will host expert speakers and forums on the Strategic Issue

ADDENDUM A
Beliefs to Action: What we believe, and what we do about it
ALL CHILDREN DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE – We believe that all children can achieve, which is why the achieve-
ment gap between low income students and their wealthier peers is unacceptable and must be closed.
 It’s in our community’s best interest to seek equity in access to excellent teachers and leaders, funding, and additional supports for
student learning.
 Evidence shows that providing foundational concepts early in a child’s life is critical to future learning. Building a strong base early
decreases the need for costly and challenging remediation over time.
How we work to achieve this:
 We concentrate our resources on students who need them the most – typically students who are of color and/or low-income.
 When investing in system-improvement, we ensure considerations are made with an equity lens. We believe that strong systems
are those that meet the needs of all children.
 We prefer structural improvement that promotes prevention, rather than more resources towards repair.
LEADERSHIP IS CRITICAL – Leaders can make or break an organization, system, school, or classroom.
 School leaders are vital to setting high expectations and fostering a team of educators who can meet them.
 For their students to succeed, all educators – from classroom teachers to district leaders – benefit from a comprehensive human
development strategy that includes coaching, access to reliable progress data, continual reflection, and opportunities to grow pro-
fessionally.
 As professionals responsible for the vital goal of student learning, teachers and leaders should be both supported and held ac-
countable for their impact on student achievement.
 We seek partnership opportunities that take into account the interrelated parts of a human capital system.
 We consider strongly the effectiveness and track record of the leadership team, from the executive staff to the board.
 We evaluate leadership’s commitment and expect evidence of support before investing.

PROGRESS MATTERS – Measurement and evidence are critical to know if progress is being made – with organizations, interventions,
and ultimately, students.
 Curriculum and instructional interventions should be evidence based and research informed.
 Great schools and districts should have autonomy to innovate and make decisions in the best interest of students. With autonomy
comes accountability for results for students.
 Academic proficiency is one of the most important goals for all students, but academic growth is a useful yardstick for progress.
 In an effort to achieve the strongest outcomes, we prioritize investments that incorporate evidence-based strategies.
 We are interested in supporting partners that measure their performance, through both qualitative and quantitative metrics, and
continually use this information to assess their program effectiveness and improve outcomes.
 We use evaluation to assess program effectiveness and organizational learning rather than solely compliance.
STRONGER TOGETHER – We strive to be ever-focused on what’s best for students and prioritize transparency, accountability, continu-
ous learning, and willingness to partner.
 Publicly supported and accessible schools are the bedrock of our country. Public dollars must come with transparency and account-
ability.
 No one organization has the answer. Working in partnership and sharing best practices will produce the best results.
 One of the strongest roles that we aim to play, in addition to funding, is to be a connector and advocate for positive and lasting
change.
 We seek to model the kind of willingness to partner, continuous learning, and performance accountability that we expect from our
grantee organizations.
 To be as grounded as possible in the realities of working with students, we take a dual approach, seeking opportunities for sys-
temic improvement while also partnering with those making a direct impact on the students every day.

ADDENDUM B
Grant Strategy Framework
Focus Area Goal Sub-Goals and/or Strategies Expected Metrics
K-3 Core Achievement
Public school students
are achieving at or
above grade level in
core subjects (math
and reading) by the
end of 3rd
grade.
Individualize support through
Evidence-based tutoring
Growth on specific skills / academic
progress that increases chances of
child reaching grade level proficiency
Scope of Issue in Charlotte Mecklenburg:
In 2018, % CMS 3rd
graders
"College and Career Ready”:
45.9% reading
59.4% math
In 2018, 62.7% of CMS 1st
graders were meeting
or exceeding expectations on phonics and de-
coding, and 53.4% of 2nd
graders could read
grade level text.
Stop the summer slide through
summer learning opportunities
Maintaining end of year academic at
the beginning of next school year
(minimum); growing 1-2 months in
academic ability
Scope of Issue in North Carolina:
In 2018, % NC 3rd
graders
"College and Career Ready”:
45% reading
52.7% math
Improve teacher knowledge and
instruction in evidence-based prac-
tices
Changes in teacher practice; Forma-
tive and summative achievement
gains in students
Systems and policies are research-
informed and support students,
families, and educators in reaching
a 3rd
grade proficiency goal
Policy and practice changes that are
supported by research and evidence
Excellent Teaching and Leading
Effective teachers are
recruited, developed,
and retained in public
schools.
Teacher candidates are identified
and recruited into a preparation/
lateral entry program
Enrollment rates at TPPs, Characteris-
tics of enrolled students
Scope of Issue in Charlotte Mecklenburg:
Data from 2017/2018
9,401 teachers in CMS
Clinically-rich preparation pro-
grams create day-one ready teach-
ers prepared to excel in today’s
classroom environments
Pass rates of edTPA, EVAAS of gradu-
ates in years 1-3

Data from 2016/2017
64% of teachers meet growth
16% of teachers exceed growth
12% attrition rate overall
16.5% attrition of excellent teachers
28.2% principals meet growth
23.5% principals exceed growth
4% principal turnover rate
New teachers are hired for fit and
supported in their initial 1-3 years
(hiring and induction)
Placement timing and matches,
teacher surveys, EVAAS of graduates
in years 1-3, retention
All teachers are coached by a mas-
ter educator and have opportuni-
ties to practice instruction.
Teacher surveys (Insights, TWC);
EVAAS growth
Teachers are retained because they
are supported by their school lead-
ership and have opportunities to
grow in their professional scope
and responsibilities.
Teacher surveys (Insights, TWC);
Retention and mobility rates
Scope of Issue in North Carolina:
Data from 2015-2016
47 EPPs, 10,000 students enrolled
(82% female, 77% white)
Data from 2016/2017
47.4% schools met growth
26.3% schools exceeded growth
13% teacher attrition rate
9% principal attrition rate
Data from 2017/2018
~95,000 teachers
1.5% vacancy rate
Effective leaders are
recruited, developed,
and retained in public
schools.
Principal candidates are identified
and recruited into a preparation
program
Enrollment rates at principal prep/
leadership development programs,
Characteristics of enrolled students
Clinically-rich preparation pro-
grams create day-one ready lead-
ers prepared to excel in today’s
schools
Licensure pass rates of graduates;
Hire rates of graduates
Leaders are provided with coaching
and learning opportunities to im-
prove their effectiveness
Growth scores of schools
Effective Leaders are retained Retention in profession
North Carolina is a top
state for recruiting, de-
veloping and retaining
educator talent
Systems and policies are research-
informed and promote effective
talent strategies to recruit, develop
and retain talent
Policy and practice changes that are
supported by research and evidence;
% of LEAs employing Talent strategies
supported by research; NC's talent
metrics compared to other states

ADDENDUM C
A Framework for Considering Grants
The Belk Foundation has decided to focus its dollars, time, connections and influence on improving the way
that students are served by public education at the local level in Charlotte and the state level in North Carolina.
To place potential investments into context of the greater mission, a framework for categorizing grants is presented.
DIRECT SERVICE GRANTS
What are they and why fund them? What do we look for in investment opportunities? Grantee Examples
Primarily Charlotte-area grants, these invest-
ments provide a ground-level view to working
directly with students. Outcomes on student
achievement are more causal in nature with
this work. Both K-3 and Teacher/ Leader grants
fall into this category, although most will be K-3
given the systems-connection with teacher/
leader opportunities. The Board believes these
grants are important to keep a close touch on
what is happening at the student and educa-
tor level, better informing larger-scale efforts
and policy. The target allocation of these
grants is 40% in Charlotte.
 Best in class program delivery (clearly performing
ahead of similarly focused peer groups)
 Annual increases in reach via children served (or
adults served, who will impact more children) –
without compromising quality
 Strong, stable leadership on staff and engaged board
 Cost effective results
 Close partnership with schools and the district
 A learning organization that uses evaluation to
improve program delivery
 Tutoring
 Summer learning
Teacher/Leader
 Teacher recruitment
and development
 Principal
preparation
SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT
To see larger scale change, we seek invest-
ments that change the way that teachers
teach, leaders lead, and students achieve
grade-level proficiency by 3rd grade. Larger-
scale and riskier, these investment opportuni-
ties should disrupt status quo approaches that
 Buy-in from school district in form of in-kind or shared
financial support, MOU.
 Multiple stakeholders at various levels are committed
to the change (more than solely the Superintendent)
 Multi-year planning
 Collective impact
work to align student
services and support
to research and
data

are failing students. They are typically reforms
working directly with one or more larger institu-
tion(s) or system(s) (e.g., university, school dis-
tricts). Outcomes on student achievement
may be slightly more difficult to isolate (in the
short term and without rigorous evaluation).
These grants fall into the broader “reform” cat-
egory, which targets 30% in Charlotte and 30%
at the NC state level.
 Check-points along the way that show whether
progress is being made
 Legitimate and reasonable plans for scale if successful
 Identification of and plan to combat policy barriers
 Evidence and research-informed design
 Commitment to assessing effectiveness
Teacher/Leader
 System support to
redesign educator
prep, hiring, induc-
tion, support, reach,
retention at both
teacher and school
leader levels
REFORM ENVIRONMENT
TBF understands the impact of policy on edu-
cation. Successful implementation of direct ser-
vice and system improvement grants often re-
lies on sound local and state policy. To make
smart policy, we need an informed, engaged
electorate and well-informed policymakers.
Grants in this category CREATE the “content”
(recommendations, research) and COMMUNI-
CATE the “content” (inform community of the
facts, build advocates, and support decision-
makers). These grants fall into the broader “re-
form” category, which targets 30% in Charlotte
and 30% at the NC state level.
 Alignment with TBF’s view on policy
 Credible, solid reputation among peers and
decision-makers
 Sufficient reach with target audience
 Strategic thinking – understands both the “short” and
“long” game
 Provides a unique value to the policy ecosystem
(low duplication in voice or focus)
 Research capacity (internal or through partnerships)
that ensures recommendations are sound
 Influential decision-makers pay attention to them
 Commissioned
research
 Advocacy
organizations
 Informing
stakeholders

Belk Foundation Impact Plan

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